The Morning After
by Little Miss Lovable
Summary: What if Rory had slept with Dean that night back in season 1? How will her mom react? How will it change Dean and Rory's relationship? How will Rory cope with the very same situation her mother found herself in 16 years earlier? What about her education, what about Harvard? Can she handle being a student and a mother? Or will she cave under the pressure?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey people of Fanfiction. This is my first Gilmore Girls story, and it was inspired by season 1, episode 9 where Rory goes to the dance with Dean and stays out all night. This may end up just being a oneshot, because honestly all this was for was to get me back into writing. I might come back to it and add more later, I do have a few ideas. But don't get your hopes up, I have a 10 month old son who takes all of my time and energy. Let me know what you think!

The Morning After

"Rory? Rory, wake up."

I stirred and found myself pinned. I could hear people talking, but I didn't want to move. I was aware of being in someone's arms, and they were warm and smelled wonderful. I snuggled closer.

"Rory, have you been here all night?" There was that voice again. "It's Miss Patty, wake up. Your mom is looking for you."

Miss Patty? Why is Miss Patty at my house?

Suddenly, I shoot up, startling a sleeping Dean in the process. Dean! Oh God. He's not wearing clothes. I'm not wearing clothes. We're in Miss Patty's studio. I shake his shoulder to wake him completely, and we turn to look at Miss Patty, who is looking away while holding out my coat. I take it quickly and throw it over myself, trying to cover Dean as well. "What time is it?"

She looks down at her watch. "It's 5:30 honey. You need to get home. I'll call your mom and tell her you're on your way."

Mom! Mom's going to kill me!

I get up, quickly throwing on my dress from last night and tossing my coat over Dean, who is still trying to process what is going on. As I try to leave, he grabs my wrist to stop me and I notice that there's a dozen people staring at us. I pull my hand free and sprint from the studio, not stopping to grab my shoes or bag.

As I run down the street, probably looking a mess, I think back on last night.

"C'mon, Rory, just for a few minutes. It's only 11, you have plenty of time to get home." Dean and I were standing outside of Patty's dance studio, not wanting the night to end.

"Okay, but only a few minutes. My mom will freak if I'm late," I told him firmly. We quietly opened the door and slipped into the dark studio. "You know, it was really hot the way you defended me tonight," I said seductively, wrapping my arms around my boyfriend's shoulders.

He smirked at me and pulled me closer. "Oh, yeah? How's this for hot?" And suddenly he was kissing me. Not the kind of sweet, innocent kisses we exchanged regularly. This was lust-filled, and wonderful.

Dean unzipped the back of my dress, and I looked at him with a mix of fear and desire. "Are you okay with this? I want you." I nod, and he pulls my dress down my body.

"Do you have protection?" I asked him as he pushed me on to one of the yoga mats.

"No, but trust me. We'll be fine," he assured me, capturing my lips with his once more, and we gave into the passion.

I finally reach my house, and I see my grandma's car in the driveway. Crap! I'm so dead.

I walk up the driveway and realize I don't have my key. Not wanting to knock and give myself away just yet, I grab the key from the turtle and quietly let myself in. I can hear my mom and grandma in the kitchen. They're fighting about me.

"She's going to get pregnant." My grandma's words stunned me. "She's going to get pregnant, and you're going to lose her. Like I lost you."

I didn't hear my mom's response. Pregnant. No, not possible. But we didn't use protection. No, Rory. Don't think like that. It was a one time thing, you aren't going to get pregnant.

I'm shaken from my thoughts by the sound of the front door slamming. Slowly, I pull myself out from behind the wall and walk into the kitchen to see my mom staring out the window.

"Mom-"

"Where were you?" She turns to scream at me. "I wake up, with my mother here, to find that you never came home!"

"I'm sorry-"

"Did you sleep with him?" She asks, and I can't bring myself to look at her. I can hear the disappointment in her voice as she asks if we used protection. I'm so ashamed, I don't look up. "Rory, how could you?"

Finally, I break down. "I'm so sorry!" I sob, and she wraps her arms around me. "We were so stupid! I'm sorry I broke your trust, I'm sorry that grandma is mad at you, I'm so sorry!"

Mom continues to hold me while I cry into her shirt. I calm down after a while, and she pulls away and forces me to look at her.

"Rory, I'm so disappointed in you. You're barely 16. You're not ready for sex and all that comes with it." I hang my head, and she grabs my chin and makes me look up again. "Listen to me, I love you kid. I will no matter what. But this can't happen again. Do you understand?"

I nod slowly, trying not to cry anymore. My mom gives me one last hug, and I excuse myself to the bathroom to shower off the events of last night.

I enter the bathroom in a daze, and turn on the hot water. I quickly undress while the water warms up, and I look at myself in the mirror. I don't look different. Should I look different? I mean, I'm not sure what someone is supposed to look like the morning after they have sex for the first time.

Looking more closely at myself, I see my smudged makeup and my crazy bird's nest of hair, which still has the silver and blue pins stuck in it. I pull them out carefully and lay them on the counter.

I step into the shower and let the warm water run down my body. My aching, exhausted body. I realize that I feel sore between my legs, and my back and hips hurt from sleeping on the floor all night. I wash myself quickly, not wanting to think anymore.

When I feel clean, I shut the water off and grab my towel from the towel rack and wrap it around myself. As I step out of the bathroom, I hear voices in the living room. One of them is Dean.

Dean! I don't want to see him right now. I quickly run to my room and slam the door, accidentally alerting my mom and boyfriend of my whereabouts. I go to my closet and find a pair of sweats and a tshirt, and just as I'm slipping into a clean pair of underwear I hear a knock on my door. "Rory? Can we talk?" It's Dean.

"I'm not dressed. Leave my alone," I yell back, shoving my legs one at a time into my pants and picking up my bra from the floor.

"When you're dressed then. I really need to talk to you," he begs.

"Fine. Give me a minute," I sigh, pulling on my sports bra and tshirt. I open the door to see Dean, looking as tired as I feel, in the same clothes he wore last night. I step aside and let him in, shutting the door behind him. Wordlessly, I sit on my bed and motion for him to sit next to me.

We sit facing each other for a few minutes, neither of us wanting to break the awkward silence. I pick at a loose thread on my sweats, and he fiddles with the buttons on his jacket.

"So..." he says eventually. "Last night."

"Last night," I repeat, not knowing what else to say.

"It was amazing. I know we're young, I know it's crazy, but it was so good," Dean tells me, lighting up. "I'm glad you were my first."

I look up at him, fresh tears in my eyes. "I wasn't ready. I don't know why I thought I was. I'm glad you were my first too, but that can't happen again. Not for a long time."

Dean wraps his arms around me, and at first I resist. He doesn't give up though, so I melt into his embrace. "As long as you don't hate me, and you're not breaking up with me, I can live with that," he promises.

We sat like that for a few more minutes before my mom knocked and entered the room. "Hey, Dean. Your mom called and wants you home."

Dean nods and stands up. "Later Rory, Miss Gilmore."

"Bye Dean," my mom and I say in unison. As soon as the front door shuts behind him, my mom turns to me.

"Okay, I'm still disappointed, I'm still upset. I don't condone this at all," she tells me. "But tell me everything!"

So I do, and we spend the rest of the day just talking and eating all the junk food that's stashed around the house. I have the best mom in the world.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Yep, I'm back with another chapter. Let me know what you think, and if you have any ideas for what could happen next.

5 Weeks Later

I wake up to a clenching, cramping feeling in my stomach, and I slowly sit up. I feel dizzy and sick, and I don't really want to move.

A few minutes later, I hear footsteps on the stairs and movement in the kitchen. I assume my mom is making her morning coffee. A few seconds later, my stomach revolts and I find myself sprinting to the bathroom. I make it just in time to empty last night's dinner into the toilet.

I feel my mom come up behind me and hold my hair up. "You okay, kid? Do you need to stay home today?" She asks me, concern lacing her words.

I wipe my mouth on a piece of toilet paper and shake my head. "No, I have some important assignments to hand in today. And what about my perfect attendance?" I find myself working into a panic. "If I ruin my perfect attendance, I can kiss Harvard goodbye!" By this point, I'm in tears.

My mom rubs my back reassuringly. "Geez, stomach bug and period at the same time. That's rough." She stands up and helps me to my feet. "Don't worry, I'll take your assignments to the school. You get back in bed and I'll bring you some crackers or something."

I slowly make my way to my room to lie down, thinking about what my mom had said. I'm not on my period.

Suddenly it hits me, and I grab the small planner that I keep on my bedside table. I flip to today's date, December 7th, and see that my period should have started 3 days ago. And of course my mom would know that, she's on the same cycle. Dread settles into my stomach on top of the nausea, and it's all I can do to keep myself from heaving.

My mom enters the room with a cup of coffee and a sleeve of saltine crackers, and I do my best to thank her but as soon as the coffee smell hits my nose, I'm sprinting for the bathroom again with my mom following close behind.

When I'm done throwing up, I look over my shoulder at my mom, who has a look of realization in her eyes. She's looking behind me, and I follow her gaze to the unopened package of tampons on the shelf behind the toilet. "Rory…"

I hang my head as the tears begin to flow. "Mom… I'm scared."

And that's all it takes for my mom to join me on the bathroom floor and pull me into her arms. I can feel her shaking as she gently strokes my back, and I sob openly into her neck.

We stay there until the phone starts ringing in the kitchen. My mom stands up, wordlessly pulling me with her, and she drags me by the hand to answer the phone. "Hello?" She mumbles into the phone.

As she talks to whoever called, I find myself lost in thought. Maybe I'm not pregnant. I'm late because I'm stressed, and I'm sick because we ate at Al's last night. I continue to convince myself of this, and I almost believe it.

"Thank you, headmaster. I'll get those assignments to her teachers, and she will be back in class when she's feeling better," I hear my mom say, and the phone falls to the floor.

I look up to see my mom staring at me intently. "Here's what we are going to do. I'm going to take your assignments to your teachers, then I'm going to swing by the inn and let Sookie know I won't be in for a couple of days. Then I'm going to go to the drugstore in the next town over to get a test. You'll take it, and we'll go from there. Okay?"

I nod to show I understand, then make my way to the couch to find something entertaining to watch while my mom runs her errands. It's hard to keep my eyes open, so I let them close while I listen to the Oompa Loompa opening song.

"Rory, time to wake up hon. Got your test and I need you to take it, then you can go back to sleep," my mom tells me, gently shaking me awake.

I stand up shakily and take the brown paper bag from my mom, and she gives me a nervous smile as she gently pushes me to the bathroom.

I open the test once the door is shut behind me and read the directions. Pee on the stick, wait three minutes. Seems too simple for something so life changing.

I do as the test says, and set it on the counter to wait for my results. I call for my mom to set the kitchen timer before exiting the bathroom and pacing the hallway.

When the timer rings, my mom and I look at each other and she motions to the test on the counter. I shakily make my way forward and pick up the test, counting to three in my head before glancing down to see two bright pink lines.

I fall to my knees and burst into tears at my mom's feet. "I'm so sorry!"

I feel my mom's hand brush my cheek, and I look into her understanding eyes. "I know, hon. I know." I could see the pain on her face, watching her daughter go through the same thing she had to endure 16 years ago. She attempts to make a joke. "Well, at least I'm not gonna be a crazy old grandma."

I suddenly remember my grandma's words from the night of the dance. She'll get pregnant and you'll lose her. They echo in my head. "Mom. You know what grandma said isn't true, right? You won't lose me."

"I know, baby. I know." She sighs. "We have to tell your grandma about this though."

I feel myself getting nauseous again. "I know. And I have to tell Dean."

"I'm going to call and make you a doctor's appointment, and we will see how far along you are. But my guess is about 7 weeks."

I look at her, confused for a minute before I remember middle school health class. Pregnancy is counted from the day of the last period. "Okay."

Mom picks up the phone and the phone book and dials the number for the nearest OBGYN. I listen intently to her side of the conversation. "Hi, I need to make an appointment for a pregnancy test and ultrasound. No, not for me. For my daughter. Lorelai Gilmore, October 8, 1984. Really? Okay, we will see you at 3. Thank you. Bye." She hung up the phone and looked at me. "They had a last minute cancellation, so they can squeeze you in at 3 today."

I glance at the clock and see that it's almost 1. "I'm going to shower, then can we go to Luke's for lunch? I'm starving."

"Okay, hurry. We need to leave Luke's by 2:20, which doesn't leave us long to eat."

Heeding her words, I rush into the shower and quickly wash myself off. To save time, I grab my toothbrush and brush my teeth while rinsing my hair. When I'm finished, I wrap myself in a towel and head to my room to get dressed. I pull on a pair of jeans and a hoodie, as the November air is cold. I shove my feet into the closest pair of shoes I can find and meet my mom in the living room.

We head out in the jeep and pull up in front of Luke's at 1:30. We hurry inside and sit at our usual table. Luke comes up to us and seems surprised to see me.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" he asks me.

My mom comes to the rescue when my words fail me. "She has a doctor's appointment this afternoon, so we played hooky today to catch up on our shows."

Luke looks confused, but goes along with it anyway. "What can I get you?"

My mom orders a burger and fries, and I find myself asking for a salad topped with lots of shredded cheese and a side of chili cheese fries. My mom looks at me and smirks, and Luke looks concerned but goes to the kitchen and gets our orders started. "Salad, huh?" She looks at my stomach and whispers, "You can't be a Gilmore if you like salad, silly baby." I look around to make sure no one is paying attention before glaring at my mom.

"Just announce it to the whole town there, why don't ya?" I hiss at her. She apologizes and we sit in silence until Luke comes back with our food.

"Coffee?" he asks as he sets down our plates. I shake my head, remembering this morning. Mom also declines. "The Gilmore girls don't want coffee? Okay..."

I dig into my salad enthusiastically while Luke watches with an almost scared look on his face. I shoot a glare his way and he hurries back to the kitchen. "Tone it down there, hon. Nobody knows what's going on, okay? So don't kill anyone for wondering why you don't want coffee and why you suddenly eat salad." My mom tells me quietly. I just nod and continue eating happily.

We finish our lunch and pay for it before heading back to the jeep and driving to Hartford. The drive is mostly silent except for the radio.

We arrive at the doctor's office at 2:40, and we make our way into the building. My mom checks me in while I grab a seat in the waiting area. She comes over to me with a clipboard and starts filling out a couple of sheets of paperwork. "What day did you start your last period?" she asked me.

"October 19th," I tell her quietly, feeling the stares of the other women in the waiting room. Mom finishes the paperwork and returns it to the receptionist before coming back to sit next to me.

"Lorelai Gilmore?" a nurse calls a while later. My mom and I get up and follow her to the back. "Which one of you is this appointment for?" I half raise my hand, and the nurse smiles kindly at me. "Okay, dear. Step on the scale here for me." I do and she records my weight. 115 pounds.

Wordlessly the nurse leads us to an exam room and takes my blood pressure. "Blood pressure is good, now if you could take this cup and give me a urine sample. The restroom is right through that door, and when your done just leave the cup on the small shelf next to the sink."

I take the small plastic cup and head into the bathroom to do as the nurse says, and when I finish I wash my hands and return to the exam room. The nurse goes to collect the cup, and dips a small paper strip into it, which immediately turns pink.

"Yep, you're pregnant. I'll send the doctor right in," the nurse tells me with a smile before exiting the room.

My mom and I are never awkward with each other, but the silence in the small exam room is tense and uncomfortable for the few minutes before the doctor enters the room.

"Good afternoon, Lorelai," the woman smiles at me. "I'm Dr. Malley, and I'll be taking care of you through your pregnancy. Should we get an ultrasound and look at that baby?" This woman is far too enthusiastic about me being a teen mom. But I guess that's her job. So I just nod my head and follow her directions to lie down and pull my shirt up.

Dr. Malley powers up the ultrasound machine and squirts the warm gel on my tummy before picking up the wand. "Well, based on your last period and the size of the fetus, I'd say your just over 7 weeks along." She continues to move the wand around for a minute and pauses. "Do you want to hear the heartbeat? It's a little early for that, but it's there." I nod slowly, and suddenly the most beautiful sound fills my ears. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Tears fill my eyes and flow down my cheeks as I listen to my baby's steady heartbeat.

Dr. Malley finishes getting whatever she needs from the screen while I lay silent and think about my growing baby. I'm going to be a mom.

"Lorelai? Do you want a picture of your baby?" Dr. Malley asks me kindly.

"Yes please. And you can call me Rory." My voice sounds distant and shaky. I feel my mom's hand in mine, and she squeezes gently.

The doctor hands me a printed picture of my tiny baby, which looks like a blob. I smile without even thinking about it.

"Well, congratulations Rory. I'd say you're due on July 26th, 2001. I'd like to see you back in about 4 weeks. You can clean up and make your next appointment at the front desk." Dr. Malley leaves me to wipe the gel off my tummy, and I follow my mom back to the receptionist desk where she makes my next appointment.

We head silently to the car, and as I climb into my seat I think of how I am possibly going to tell Dean.

 **A/N: Taking votes for boy/girl, and need ideas for how Rory should tell Dean and her grandma. Any and all feedback is welcome, even if you think this story sucks. Just try to be productive about it please?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Yup, I'm back with another chapter. I'm a little nervous about this one, as I'm not sure this is how Dean or the Gilmores would react to Rory's news. So I just guessed. I apologize for any errors, I'm extremely sleep deprived due to dealing with a teething baby. So I hope you guys can be understanding.**

 **Breaking the News**

It's been two weeks since my doctor's appointment, and I've been avoiding Dean. I've continued going to school because I know it's what I need to do to provide my baby the best future. I know I'm not going to have an abortion, not after hearing my little one's heartbeat. How could I stop that precious heart from beating? As for adoption, I've considered it. But part of me knows I have the ability to be an amazing mother. Can I do that as a student though? Will I have to drop out and get a job to support my child?

"Miss Gilmore!" I'm startled from my thoughts by my English teacher, who is glaring at me expectantly. "Did you hear my question?"

"Um... No, I'm sorry," I tell him honestly, and the other students snicker at me. The teacher sighs and gets his answer from another student before continuing the lesson.

The bell rings to signal the end of the school day, and I pack my textbook and notebooks back in my backpack. Before I can leave, Mr. Medina stops me. "Miss Gilmore, I need to speak with you please, so don't take off just yet." The other students take their sweet time leaving for the day as I wait impatiently at my desk for them to clear out. I have to get home and get ready for Friday night dinner with my grandparents.

Finally, the last student leaves the classroom and I approach Mr. Medina's desk. "You wanted to speak with me?"

He nods slowly. "You've been awfully distracted the last couple of weeks, and your grades are showing it. I thought maybe this class was just boring you, but your other teachers are concerned with your performance as well. I know this school is challenging for you, are you sure you can handle the pressure?"

Something in me snaps and I find myself almost yelling at my teacher. "With all due respect, sir, I'm doing just fine! I'm just as devoted and smart as the other students here, I just have a lot on my plate right now so my grades have slipped a bit. They will be up by the end of term, so just get off my back!"

Mr. Medina sits in a stunned silence as I collect my breath, before continuing. "I was just going to suggest maybe getting a tutor to help where you're struggling. Do you want to talk about what's going on?"

I stop and think for a moment. I'm 9 weeks pregnant, so I'm not even close to showing. I'm bloated most days, but not in an obvious way that would point to pregnancy. But I'll be showing in a few weeks. Everyone will find out eventually. What harm could come from confiding in a teacher? But then, what if Headmaster Charleston doesn't want a pregnant girl in his school? What if they kick me out? But it would be nice for someone to know what's going on... "Mr. Medina, I want to tell you. But can you keep it confidential, please?" I beg.

He looks at me with genuine concern on his face and nods, and something in me breaks and I burst into tears. "Rory, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone, I promise."

"I'm-I'm... I'm pregnant!" I wail, and I hang my head in shame. "I'm distracted in class because I'm so tired, and I feel sick all the time, and I still haven't told my boyfriend because I don't know how to, and my mom is so wonderful and supportive but I've disappointed her and ruined her trust in me and my life is falling apart!" I finish my rant, and am amazed that I'm not crying anymore. I glance up at Mr. Medina, who looks back at me with compassion.

"Rory, thank you for telling me. I know it wasn't easy. I have to get going, and you should too. But I'm here if you need someone to talk to about this, I know the guidance counsellor isn't the best to turn to in cases of teen pregnancy," he waits for me to smile slightly at his joke about the counsellor before he continues. "You're not the first girl to get pregnant while attending Chilton, and you won't be the last. But if anyone can do this, it's you."

I head home after my talk with Mr. Medina, and his words of encouragement echo in my head. I walk up my driveway after the long bus ride, longing for my bed, but I know I have to go to dinner tonight. I skipped the last two dinners and I know grandma is furious with me. But she is going to be even more furious when I tell her she's going to be a great grandma...

My mom comes down the stairs as I enter the house, and she rushes over to hug me. "We don't have to go tonight."

"Yes, mom. We do. I've put it off long enough. It's time to tell grandma and grandpa," I say determinedly.

Mom raises her eyebrows. "Okay... When are you going to tell Dean he's going to be a daddy? You can't keep avoiding him, hon. He's called the house three times since school got out today. You need to tell him."

My heart hurts at the mention of Dean. It's not fair to avoid him when he did nothing wrong. Mom's right, I need to tell him. "Okay. I'll tell him tomorrow. I'll call him before we leave for dinner and tell him I want to see him tomorrow, and that I have news for him."

Mom nods at me and heads back upstairs to get ready while I pick up the phone and dial Dean's number. "Hello?" God, his voice is music to my ears. It takes me a minute to get my voice to work. "Hello?" He repeats.

"Dean. It's me," I croak out.

"Rory! Are you okay? What's going on?" He sounds relieved and panicked at the same time.

"I'm okay. Are you free tomorrow? I miss you and I have something important we need to talk about." My voice is shaky, and I can only hope that he doesn't call me out on it.

"Okay.. sure. I'll come by in the morning and we can walk down to the lake? I'll pack a picnic," he responds, sounding excited.

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow." We hang up after that, and I slowly make my way to my room to get ready for dinner.

An hour later, we're on our way to Hartford, and I'm running my speech through my head over and over. I just hope my grandparents aren't too angry at me.

We pull up in front of the Gilmore mansion and park the jeep in the driveway. I turn to my mom, tempted to ask if we can just leave, but I steel my nerves and get out of the car.

Mom leads the way up the walkway, and rings the doorbell. My heart is beating a million miles a minute, and I jump when the maid opens the door to let us in. She takes our coats and leads us to the living room where grandma and grandpa are waiting.

"Rory! So nice to see you! We've missed you!" Grandma says as she hugs me. "School can't be so busy that you forget about your poor old grandparents, can it?" Great. Already starting with the guilt trips.

"Come now, Emily. Let the poor girl breathe. Drinks you two?" Grandpa breaks the tension, and sets about making drinks. The four of us make small talk, up until the maid calls that dinner is ready. Now or never.

"Wait, Grandma, Grandpa. I have something I need to tell you," I say, taking a deep breath as they both look at me expectantly. Mom is giving me an encouraging smile. The speech I rehearsed before leaves my mind, and I sit silently for a moment. Just as my grandma sighs impatiently, I blurt out my big news. "Please don't hate me. But you're going to have a great grandbaby in July. I'm 9 weeks pregnant."

The living room falls silent, and I am too afraid to make eye contact. My grandma clears her throat and speaks, shattering my heart. "You can go now. We will continue to pay for Chilton, but I'm afraid I don't want a relationship with you if you're going to ruin your life the same way your mother ruined hers. Good night, Rory. Good night, Lorelai." With that, she stands and strides into the dining room. I look helplessly at my grandpa, who smiles kindly at me.

"Don't take your grandmother's words to heart, dear. I'm sure she'll come around. For now though, I think it's best that you go." Tears flow down grandpa's face as he stands and hugs me. "I love you, Rory. That won't change. If you need anything at all, you can come to me."

I squeeze my grandpa tightly until grandma calls him to the dining room. Mom pulls me away, and we leave the house to make the drive home.

The car is silent, and I hug myself tightly as I stare out the window. Tonight had gone about the way I had thought it would, but it still leaves an ache deep in my chest.

When we get home, I tell my mom goodnight and go to my room. I fall into bed, still wearing my dress from dinner, and cry myself to sleep.

The next morning, I'm woken up by my mom shaking my arm. "Rory, Dean is here. Go jump in the shower, I'll tell him you'll be out in a bit." She leaves the room and I can hear her talking to Dean out in the living room.

I stand up shakily and look at my alarm clock. 9:30. Too early to be up on a Saturday, but I know Dean is an early riser. I get up and shower and get dressed before meeting Dean in the living room.

"Rory!" He runs up and hugs me, and I melt into his arms. "I've missed you!"

"Missed you too. Ready to go?" I say when he lets go. He nods and we head out, him holding a basket in one hand and my hand in the other. We reach the lake within a few minutes and spread out a blanket and our food.

Halfway through the meal of sandwiches and chips, Dean looks up at me. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" His eyes held nothing but warmth, and I hate myself for what I'm about to tell him.

"Remember the night of the dance?" I start slowly. He nods and motions for me to continue. "We didn't use protection. And.. um..."

He's smart and catches on before I can finish. "Oh God. You're not..." I just nod. "How far along?"

"9 weeks and a couple days," I tell him softly. "I was going to tell you when I found out, but I needed to wrap my head around it."

Dean surprises me by wrapping his arms around me. "Whatever you want to do, I'll support you."

My heart warms at his embrace and his words. "I want to keep it."

He pulls back to look at me. "Okay. I'll pick up more shifts at Doose's. We will make this work. You're staying in school, right?"

I'm amazed at how supportive he's being. "Yes, I'm staying in school. I'm due July 26th, so I'll be done with school for the year by the time the baby is born, and I can find a babysitter when school starts up in the fall." I've already thought this through, and my words are strong and clear.

Dean studies me for a moment before he speaks again. "Have you been to a doctor yet?" I nod. "When is the next one? I want to be there."

"January 4th at 4:30." I tell him. "Do you want to see a picture?" He nods, and I pull out the ultrasound picture from my jacket pocket. I smooth it out and hand it to him, and he looks at it in awe before turning to me and placing a hand on my soon-to-be-huge tummy.

"Hi, baby. This is daddy. I know mommy and I are young, but we love you and we are going to take the best care of you as we possibly can, I promise." I tear up as he talks to our baby, and I grab his face and pull his lips to mine.

We make out for a bit before turning our conversation to lighter topics, like baby names and stuff. I really am the luckiest girl in the world, and I tell Dean that and his eyes light up.

"I love you, Rory Gilmore," he tells me. It's the first time he's ever said it. "I know we have only known each other for a few months, and we've only been dating for about 4 months now, but I love you and our baby."

"I love you, Dean Forester," I grin, and kiss his lips once more.

 **A/N: So I know this is so different than the actual show, I'm probably not going to follow the storyline super closely. I might draw inspiration from major plot points, but don't expect this to follow the show a whole lot, if at all. Review and let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Four Weeks Later**

I wake up on the day of my doctor's appointment feeling better than I have in a while. My stomach churns uncomfortably, but not quite to the point where I feel the need to throw up. I reach for my saltine crackers on the small table next to me to curb the nausea, and I'm amazed that my stomach actually settles.

When I finish my crackers, I get out of bed and head to the bathroom to get ready for school. I quickly brush my teeth and wash my face, noticing the dark circles under my eyes and the pimples across my forehead and chin. I thought being pregnant brought a glow, not bruised-looking eyes and disgusting acne. I decide to apply a little bit of concealer to my eyes and the worst of the pimples, and with that I deem my face acceptable for the school day.

I head back to my room to put on my uniform, and find the skirt to be uncomfortably tight. I remove my uniform and stare at my naked body in the full length mirror on my door. Honing in on my stomach, I see the tiniest start of a bump. At just over 13 weeks, it still looks like bloat from a too-big meal. But I'm going to need a bigger uniform soon.

I get to school early, and wait inside my first period class for the teacher to show up. It's going to be a long day.

After school gets out for the day, I meet my mom up front. She decided that she would pick up Dean and come get me from school today so we could go to my appointment together. I sit in the back with Dean, and my mom makes the drive to the OBGYN clinic.

We pull into the parking lot, and mom turns to look at me. "I'll wait out here, I've got some calls to make for work. Good luck!"

Dean and I make our way inside, where I check myself in at the receptionist desk. I sit next to Dean and wait for my name to be called.

"Rory Gilmore?" It's the same nurse as last time, and she greets me with a smile as we follow her to the back. "Okay, Rory. I'm going to need a urine sample from you, and when you're done come back out here and we'll get your weight."

I do as I'm told, and head into the small bathroom. When I'm finished, I step back out and head over to the scale. I've lost 3 pounds. "Don't worry, dear. Sometimes morning sickness makes it hard to gain weight at first. I'm sure you and baby are fine." That puts my mind at ease. The nurse leads me to the exam room where Dean is already waiting and takes my blood pressure before telling me the doctor will be in soon.

Dr. Malley comes in with a smile, and I introduce her to Dean. "Hi, Dean. I'm glad to see a young father take part in the pregnancy process, it's hard for a young woman to go through alone." Dean smiles at her awkwardly.

"Now, I'm not going to do an ultrasound today, you will only have 2 more of those unless something goes wrong. One will be your anatomy scan, at about 18 weeks, and we will do a growth scan at 34 weeks. At every other appointment, we will use the doppler to check baby's heartbeat, and we will go over any concerns you have. Okay?" I nod to show I understand.

Dr. Malley pulls out a weird looking wand contraption, which she calls a fetal Doppler. She uses it the same way she did the ultrasound wand, and the steady thumping of my baby's heartbeat fills the room. My eyes again flood with tears at the beautiful sound, and I turn to smile at Dean who looks like he's in shock. "Dean?"

"Wow, there's really a baby in there," he says, amazed. I fight the urge to roll my eyes at him.

"Well, Rory. Baby sounds great. Now, I've noticed you've lost a bit of weight. Which is fine for the first trimester, but now that you're entering the second you should be feeling better and able to eat more. Remember, lots of fruits and veggies, lots of protein and calcium, and stay away from fish and too much caffeine. Do you have any questions at all for me? Either of you?"

"Um... Yeah. When can we learn the gender? And will this horrible acne ever go away?" I ask.

"You can learn the gender at your anatomy scan, which will be in about 5 weeks. As for the acne, I'm afraid it's a hormonal thing and I can't say for sure when it will clear up. Oil free face cleanser should help, but there's no magic cure I'm afraid."

I sigh in defeat. "Okay... That's all the questions I've got."

Dr. Malley smiles at me. "Well, if you want to stop on your way out and schedule your anatomy scan, that would be great. I won't be doing that ultrasound, a tech will, so we will schedule an appointment for the week after that to go over results. I'll see you then Rory, Dean."

She leaves the room and Dean and I sit in silence for a few minutes. Finally, I stand from the exam table and work my way to the door, but Dean stops me.

"Rory, I'm scared." His blunt statement throws me for a second, but I wrap my arms around his chest and lay my head on his shoulder. "I know, I am too. But we can do this." I guide his hand to my barely there bump, and his eyes widen.

"Is that...?" I nod, and I see a brief flash of tears in his eyes before he clears his throat and stands. "I love you, Rory. And this baby too. I'll be here for you both, I promise."

We leave the room hand in hand, briefly stopping to schedule my next two appointments. We find my mom in the parking lot and climb into the Jeep, where we are immediately ambushed with questions.

"How's the littlest Gilmore? How are you Rory? Everything look good?"

"Forester, mom. The baby will have Dean's last name. I'm fine, lost 3 pounds though. Everything is good, baby's heartbeat is steady, we can find out the gender in 5 weeks." I rattle off the answers to her questions, and she looks hurt.

"The baby won't be a Gilmore? Why?"

"I want him or her to have their father's last name." I say with finality.

"But..."

"No, mom. It's final."

She drops the argument and starts the drive home. I know she'll bring it up later though.

For now, I just rest my hand on my tiny bump and rub in circles. I hope I'll make a good mom, because I have the best there is.

The next morning at school, I head to the main office to find out about getting a bigger uniform. I approach where the secretary is sitting with my heart beating too fast. "Excuse me, who can I talk to to find out about getting a new uniform?"

"Have you ruined yours?"

"No, it's just a little too small. Must've gained weight or something." I try to shrug like it's nothing, but the secretary looks at me carefully. She gives me a room number and I'm on my way.

I get to one of the back rooms shortly before first period, but I've got a note. I find a woman tending to plaid skirts and blue suit jackets, and I clear my throat to get her attention.

"Um. Hi. I need a bigger uniform skirt and jacket please."

The woman has me step on to a pedestal in the center of the room, where she proceeds to get my measurements. She pauses at my midsection. "Big breakfast?" She asks, one eyebrow raised.

"Um... No..." I say slowly. Can't hurt to tell her, can it? This won't be the last time I'll need a new uniform. "I'm uh.. I'm pregnant. That's why I need a bigger uniform."

The woman nods and continues her work, then goes off to find my new stuff. She hands me two skirts and a uniform jacket. "One of the skirts should fit you for the next couple of months, the other one will accommodate a growing baby bump better. There's an elastic band sewn in to create sort of a maternity skirt. You're not the first pregnant girl I've helped with a uniform."

I thank her and head on my way. My first stop is the bathroom to change into the larger uniform. Since the bathroom is empty, I don't bother with going into a stall. As I'm buttoning up my shirt, someone else enters. I look up and lock eyes with Paris. She looks at me strangely, but my bump isn't noticeable unless you're looking for it. Or so I thought.

"Well, looks like Mary's got a new little Jesus on the way, huh?" She states. My mouth gapes.

"Why would you say that?" I stutter.

She scoffs. "Please. I overheard your conversation with Mr. Medina a few weeks ago. Thought I heard wrong. But you're showing."

My face flushes, and I quickly finish putting my new uniform on before shoving past Paris and half running to my first period.

Looks like the secret is out. What now?

Unsurprisingly, the news has spread around the school by lunch that goody-two-shoes Rory Gilmore is pregnant. I try not to let the stares and whispers bother me, but it all becomes too much and I head to a quiet corner of the grounds to be alone.

As I try to eat my lunch of strawberries, peanut butter, and ginger ale, I'm approached by Tristin. "Well, well, well. Mary's not a virgin anymore. Who would have thought the pregnant girl would be you?"

I ignore Tristin's comments and simply stand up and brush past him, on my way to pee before heading to class. But I've heard similar stuff from everyone. It's going to be a long 6 months...

Halfway through my next class, I'm called into the headmaster's office. I feel sick as I make my way through the halls, wondering if I'm about to be kicked out.

I arrive at the office and knock on the door, entering only when Headmaster Charleston calls me in.

"Ah, Miss Gilmore. Have a seat." I do as I'm told and look at him expectantly. "I've heard the rumors throughout the school. Are they true?"

I nod slowly. "Yes, Headmaster Charleston. They're true. I'm pregnant."

He sighs. "Do you have plans for how you will complete your schooling?"

"Yes. I'm due in July, so I can finish out the school year, the baby will be born over the summer, and I'll be back in the fall right on time. I'll find childcare so I can finish my education." I'm confident in my answers, and that confidence grows as the headmaster speaks.

"Well, Miss Gilmore. I've seen your grit over the past few months here at Chilton. I believe you will continue to excel. Don't disappoint me."

I leave the office and head to my last class of the day, as the meeting took up the rest of the last class period. I take a seat at my desk and pull out my notes, knowing I have a point to prove. Not just to my school or my family. But to myself.

When school gets out for the day, I hurry to catch the bus home. I'm seriously craving some chili cheese fries from Luke's.

When the bus pulls up at my stop, I get off to find Dean waiting for me with a styrofoam cup in his hands. He hands it to me, and I sniff it cautiously. Hot chocolate. I smile at my boyfriend and give him a quick peck before grabbing his hand and leading him to Luke's.

We grab a table, and I wave Luke over. "What can I get for you?"

"I want a large chili cheese fry, a piece of apple pie, and a root beer please." Luke nods at me and turns to Dean, who orders a salad and a glass of Coke.

"So... Don't you think we should tell everyone?" Dean asks me when Luke walks away. Before I can argue, he cuts me off. "I mean, you're already starting to show. You haven't touched a cup of coffee in two months. People are going to suspect, and wouldn't you prefer to tell them instead of everyone making assumptions?"

He's got a point, and I know it. "How would you like to go about that?"

"Well, we should start with my parents. They still don't know. And then we could tell Miss Patty and Babette, and then the whole town will know within a few hours."

I agree to his plan just as Luke gets back with our food. As soon as the plates are on the table, I dump my slice of pie on top of my fries and chow down. Luke is starting to look kind of suspicious, but I'm too happy munching away on my food.

When Dean and I finish eating, we make our way to his house. He lets us in, and we find his family in the living room.

"Mom, Dad... Rory and I have some news." Dean tells them, and they watch us cautiously. "She's pregnant, due in July. You're going to be grandparents."

 **A/N: So I'm not entirely sure what the future holds for this story. I'm running out of ideas, so if my followers could please review and let me know what you want to see happen, I would really appreciate it! Any ideas for baby names would also be great. Thanks for those of you who are reading this story, it means a lot!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: The last half of this chapter skips ahead a bit. Hope that's okay.**

 **Also, since I haven't put this in any other chapter and I'm sure I'll forget again, I don't own Gilmore Girls or any of the characters.**

 **The Secret is Out**

Dean's parents stare at us in shock after Dean tells them about the baby. It seems like forever before his mom finally speaks.

"How far along are you? What are you doing with the baby? What about school, for both of you? You're both too young for this!"

I take a deep breath and begin to answer her questions. "Just over 13 weeks. I plan on keeping it, Dean told me he wants to be there for me and the baby. I'm not due until July, so I will be done with school before the baby is here, next year I will find childcare and finish my education. College is sketchy for me now, I'm not sure what I'll do about that. But I love this baby already. I know we're young, but my mom had me when she was 16 and look where she is now. Managing an inn, loving her life. And she did it alone. I will have Dean with me." I'm out of breath by the end of my speech, and Dean takes over.

"I know you don't think we can handle this. But we can. With how many people adore Rory, I'm sure the whole town will be begging to help us out. We can do this."

Dean's parents look unconvinced still, but they let it go, asking me if I'll be staying for dinner.

"No, thank you. I really should be heading home, I'm not feeling well," I say, and I hug Dean goodbye before leaving the Forester house.

On my way home, I run in to Miss Patty. "Rory, dear. You look tired. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm okay Miss Patty. Just hormones making me tired," I smile at her, hoping she will catch on.

"Ah, I see. That time of the month then?" I almost laugh at her assumption. Almost.

Instead of laughing, I gesture to my 13 week baby bump, barely visible under my school uniform that I had forgotten I was still wearing. "Actually, I'm pregnant. This little bean is sucking away all my energy."

Miss Patty stares at me for a minute before responding. "And are you... happy.. With this?"

"Well, it came as a bit of a shock. And I'm terrified of being a mom and being able to still keep up with Chilton and later Harvard, if I can even still get in. I'm worried about how this will change my future. But after hearing this little baby's heartbeat, I knew I was in love." I stroke my belly lovingly.

"Well, dear. It sounds like you've got a good head on your shoulders. And if you need a babysitter, you just let me know. That baby is going to be loved all through Stars Hollow," Miss Patty smiled at me kindly, and I found myself wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug.

"Oh, thank you Miss Patty!" Tears are quickly filling my eyes, and I pull away in embarrassment. "Oh, and if you could spread the word... I don't want to go around announcing to everyone."

Miss Patty laughed, and turned towards the street where about half the population of Stars Hollow was staring at us. "Well, everyone. Miss Rory here has a little bundle of joy on the way!" With that, she hugs me and goes about her day.

Before anyone can ambush me with questions, I half-sprint for home to find my mom talking on the phone. "Yes, it's true. July 26th. No, won't know the gender for about 5 more weeks. Yes, Sookie. I'll tell her."

Mom turns to me as I enter the kitchen. "Hi mom, what did Sookie want?"

"Just asked if the rumors were true. Who did you tell?"

"Well, after school Dean and I went to his house and told his parents, and then I ran into Miss Patty on my way home and told her, and about half the town was there to watch. So that's how that happened."

Mom nods. "Well, guess everyone was bound to know eventually. What sounds good for dinner?"

I think about it for a moment, trying to decide what craving to satisfy. "I want chicken nuggets, steamed broccoli, and peanut butter toast. Oh, with chocolate cake for dessert."

Mom stares at me like I've suddenly grown three heads. "Broccoli? Pretty sure you ate broccoli when you were two and thought it was the grossest thing ever."

I shrug. "Baby wants what it wants. Should I go to Doose's, or do you want to?"

"Let's both go. Some exercise will do us both good, and you don't want to face the town by yourself."

So mom grabs her purse and keys and we head off to Doose's. I can feel people staring at me, but I focus my gaze straight ahead. At Doose's, we pick up all of the necessary items for dinner tonight, plus a few extra snacks that sound good. We head to the checkout where we are ambushed by Mrs. Kim.

"I've heard the rumors. Are they true?" she demands. I nod weakly. "Well, I will not allow my Lane to be around the pregnant girl. Understand? She is a good girl who will not spend time with girls who get pregnant at 16."

I find myself holding back tears at the thought of losing my best friend, but I simply nod at Mrs. Kim to show I understand. She goes on her way and I turn to mom. "Suddenly I'm not so hungry anymore."

She smiles sympathetically. "I know, hon. But if you won't eat for you, do it for the baby. It needs the nutrients."

We pay for our stuff and make the short walk home in silence. When we reach the house, I head to my room to change out of my uniform and into a pair of loose sweats and a tight-fitted tshirt. I stare at myself in the mirror, studying my changing body. My chest has grown bigger, to the point where I had to go up a cup size. And my belly... While it's not obviously a baby bump yet, it's no longer flat. I'm not sure how big it will get, but with about 6 more months to go, I'd say pretty huge.

Mom calls me out of my silent musings to let me know that dinner is ready. I force myself to choke down some nuggets and several pieces of broccoli before my upset stomach won't let me eat anymore. I tell mom that I'm tired and want to go to bed, and get up from the table before she has a chance to respond.

I lay in bed and think about how my life has already changed since I learned I was pregnant. My body is changing, the way people view me at school is changing, my grandparents haven't spoken to me since I told them, and now I can no longer see my best friend. I gently rest my hand on my tiny bump and drift off into a restless sleep.

***********5 Weeks Later****************

I sit in the waiting room at Dr. Malley's office, waiting for the nurse to call my name. Dean is sitting with me, holding my hand, and I know he is nervous and excited like I am. Today we learn if we are having a boy or a girl.

The last 5 weeks have been hard. People whisper and stare everywhere I go. At 18 weeks pregnant, I'm definitely showing.

Over the course of the last month, Dean and I have undergone a lot of questioning from everyone in town, but for the most part everyone is pretty accepting. We've grown closer as a couple, and even though we are terrified, we are excited to meet our baby.

The nurse calls me back and leads me to an ultrasound room. She tells me to lay on the table with my shirt up and to wait for the tech. I feel butterflies in my stomach as the minutes tick by slowly, and my full bladder threatens to explode. Apparently a full bladder makes it easier to see the baby.

The tech finally enters and leads us through was he's going to be doing. "Okay, before we start. I just want you to know that I'm not allowed to explain anything I see except for pointing out different body parts and telling you the gender. If there is anything unusual, you will find out all those results at your next appointment with Dr. Malley. Do you want to learn the gender today?"

Dean and I both nod, and the tech begins by putting the ultrasound gel on my growing baby bump. He gently maneuvers the wand around on my belly, then turns the sound on and lets the baby's heartbeat fill the room for a moment. He continues with the ultrasound, pointing out fingers and toes and the head. He moves the wand down and smiles at us.

"Okay, Dean and Rory. Are you ready to know if you're having a son or daughter?" We nod eagerly, and I clutch Dean's hand tightly. "It looks like you're having a baby girl! Congratulations!"

I burst into happy tears, and Dean smiles at me. "A girl." His smile widens, and soon his eyes are also filling with tears.

The tech prints off pictures, and Dean and I leave hand in hand.

My mom is waiting in the parking lot like last time, and I slide into the front seat and hand her the printouts. She smiles at them lovingly before turning to me. "Well? As much as I wish I could read this, I can't."

"It's a girl! You're going to have a granddaughter," I tell her, unable to hide my excitement. I know I would have been happy either way, but it feels amazing to know I'm going to have a little girl in just a few more months.

"Yay for a fourth generation of the Lorelai name!" Dean and I both look at her like she's crazy.

"Um, mom. Her name isn't going to be Lorelai. We haven't decided on a name yet," I tell her as gently as i can, but still disappointment creeps across her face. The drive home is mostly silent except for the radio.

I put my hands on my growing bump, and feel the butterflies once again. But wait. Those aren't butterflies.

"Mom, Dean, I think the baby is kicking!" Mom pulls over to the side of the road, about a mile outside of Stars Hollow, and they both put their hands over my belly trying to feel a kick. They pull away with disappointment after a few minutes of not feeling anything, but as soon as their hands move I feel the tiny flutters again.

"Silly girl, that's your daddy and grandma. Can't they feel you too?" I smile down at my bump.

Mom continues to drive, and as we pull up in front of Luke's we see a man on a motorcycle. Mom's face pales as the man removes his helmet, and we speak simultaneously.

"Christopher."

"Dad."

 **Well, there you have it. Christopher is back. I know this is way out of order from the series, but it made more sense in my head to do it this way. Review, and if you have any ideas for baby names be sure to let me know!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So this chapter is fairly short. I'm powering through writer's block. I know the flow of this is off, I've rewritten it 5 different times. So I'm going to leave it, sorry if it sucks.**

 **Everyone Is Always Fighting**

Mom, Dean, and I sit in the car quietly for a few minutes, panicking. Dad doesn't know about the baby. Or does he? He's going to be mad. Crap. He saw us. He's coming this way. He doesn't look mad.

Shakily, I pull myself out of the car, hoping Dad doesn't notice the baby bump right away. But when his eyes go directly to my stomach, I know that he's noticed. I go forward and hug him anyway. "Hi dad, what brings you to Stars Hollow?"

"Well, I was passin' through and just thought I'd stop and say hi. I stopped by your grandparents house when I got in Friday night because I knew you guys ate with them every Friday, but you weren't there. They said they hadn't seen you in months. I guess now I know why." He pulls back from my hug and studies me from head to toe. "Rory, what were you thinking? You're too young for this, you can't be a mother yet. And who's the father? He probably took off on you, didn't he?"

Something in me snaps and I see red. "You know what? I haven't seen you in YEARS, and all I've gotten from you have been short phone calls and the occasional postcard. Now you want to show up and be a father? It doesn't work that way. And for the record, Dean isn't you. He promised he would be there for me and the baby, even if we don't stay together. Because he understands that it takes two to make a baby, there should be two around to raise it!"

I feel Dean wrap his arms around my shoulders and I lean into his touch. Mom tells Dad that he should leave and that I need to cool off before he comes around again. The whole town is staring at us, and my cheeks heat up. Dean takes my hand, gives my father a curt nod, and leads me home.

We make it to the house, and I barely notice until I'm sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of hot chocolate in front of me. Dean sits across from me with his own mug, and I try for a smile. "Well, that was fun."

Dean smiles at my attempt at a joke, and slides his hand across the table to meet mine. "I don't plan on taking off like your dad did, Rory. Even if you and I don't work out, I promise you that I will be an active part of our daughter's life." His vow warms my heart, and I stand up to wrap my arms around him.

***********************One week later**********************

News of my dad suddenly showing up has spread around town like wildfire, and the people of Stars Hollow have rallied around me like never before. I love my town.

Dean and I walk hand in hand toward the lake after our latest doctor's appointment. Our baby girl is perfectly healthy, but she's measuring slightly on the smaller side. Dr. Malley said it's probably nothing to worry about, but we have another ultrasound scheduled in 5 weeks to check on growth.

We sit down, and Dean clears his throat. "So um.. I've been thinking."

Something about the tone of his voice and the look on his face makes me nervous. "Um. Okay. What's up?"

"Well, just that maybe... We should get married?"

I stand up quickly, shock filling me. "What? We're 16! We can't get married!"

"Well, why not? We're having a baby. She's going to have my last name. Don't you want it too?" He says defensively.

I can't even look at him right now. "We'll talk about this later. I have to go."

I run home, not caring about the people who stop and stare at me. I'm just focused on getting to my house, and maybe talking my mom into going shopping. I need a distraction.

There's an unfamiliar car in the driveway, and as I approach the front door I can hear fighting.

"No! Go away and mind your own business! You had no right to shove your ideas down Dean's throat! HE IS NOT YOU!"

"I'm just trying to help! Rory deserves a man who can step up and marry her, like I should have done for you! I want him to be there, I don't want them to make the same mistakes we did!" Dad? What is he doing here?

"I didn't want to get married at 16! And if Rory does, then it needs to be her and Dean's decision. They don't need to be forced into a marriage at 16 because you screwed up. I didn't marry you because I wanted you to have a life. I didn't know at the time that you would take off and never come around for your daughter. And even if I had, I still wouldn't have married you at 16!"

At this point, I need to say something. I burst through the front door to see my mom and dad standing in the middle of the living room, both with red faces and clenched fists.

"Does no one care what I want? I want to have this baby, I want to go to school and college and get a good job. I don't want to get married right now." With that, I glare at my dad. "And I certainly don't need _you_ to confront my boyfriend and tell him he needs to marry me. Yes, I'm 16. But I'm going to be a mother, and I want what's best for my daughter just like Mom wanted for me. I don't need to be married to her father to give her the life she deserves. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going shopping for baby stuff. Mom, you want to come with?"

*************Dean's POV***********

I sit at our spot by the lake, trying to process what just happened. Christopher told me that Rory would want to marry me. Now she's mad at me and I don't know how to fix it.

Sighing, I stand up and gather up the blanket we had been sitting on. I slowly make my way home, wondering how I can possibly make Rory forgive me.

When I get home, I let myself in and find my mom sitting at the table with a cup of coffee. "Hi, Mom. Can I join you?"

"Hi, Dean. Of course, get some coffee. I want to talk."

I pour myself a cup and sit across from mom, watching her collect her thoughts.

"Dean... Are you sure about keeping this baby? You could convince Rory to give it up, I'm sure you would be better off. So would it."

"Mom, first of all, I want my baby. I want my _daughter._ Rory does too. I won't ask her to give her up." I'm fiercely protective of my girls, and mom backs off a little.

"I'm just saying, it will be hard. Where will the baby live? I know the Gilmore's house isn't very big, and I don't want a baby and a teenage mother in my house. Will you ever get to see the baby? What if Rory decides she doesn't want to be with you? Will she take your daughter away? Just... think about it. Please? Don't throw your life away over a girl."  
I stand angrily, towering over my mother. "Don't talk about my girlfriend like that. We'll find a place that the baby will fit into at Rory's house. And if Rory wants to break up, she will still let me see the baby. We've talked about this. She's the daughter of teenage parents, and her dad was never around. She wants different for her daughter. I will be there to support them both. And I'm not throwing my life away. My life is Rory and our daughter."


	7. Chapter 7

**This is going to jump forward to Rory's next doctor's appointment, so five weeks after the previous chapter. Sorry for the lack of updates, I just moved and now only have access to a computer when visiting my parents' house, which isn't often. I'm aware that this chapter is a bit choppy, sorry about that. I'm slowly losing my motivation to write this. I plan to at least go until the baby is born, but not sure how far I'll go past that. I hope you all enjoy.**

 **Five Weeks Later-24 Weeks Pregnant**

"MOM! My pants don't fit!" I'm standing in my room in front of my mirror, desperately trying to button up my favorite pair of jeans to no avail. Mom walks in, takes one look at my upset face, and pulls me into a hug.

"Oh God, I remember those days! Here, watch." She grabs a hair tie from the top of my dresser and threads it through the buttonhole and around the button. "This is a temporary fix, looks like we're going shopping for maternity clothes after your appointment. Though I am surprised your regular clothes have fit you this long."

I sigh dramatically while sitting on my bed and attempting to shove my feet into my shoes. "Aw, man! My shoes don't fit either!" At this point I'm nearly in tears. At 24 weeks pregnant, my belly now almost blocks the view of my swollen, achy feet, and nothing fits anymore except for my Chilton uniform and sweats.

Mom looks like she has another idea. "Hang on, I'll be right back." She leaves the room and comes back a few minutes later with a pair of awful blue and white sneakers. "I wore these while I was pregnant with you. They're a half size bigger than your current size, so wear these until we can get you some comfy pregnancy safe shoes."

I groan and take the offered shoes, pulling them on to my feet and standing up. "Okay, let's go get Dean and get this show on the road."

Mom and I head out to the Jeep, where a thought suddenly strikes me. "Mom. Is the back seat going to be big enough for a carseat?"

Mom is thoughtful for a moment as she pulls out of the driveway. "I'm not sure. By the time we bought this car, you were out of a carseat. We need to go clothes shopping today anyway, and we can stop by one of the baby stores and get a carseat. If it doesn't fit in the car, we will have to see what we can do about getting you a car of your own."

The thought of getting my own car excites me, as does the prospect of our shopping trip. I put my hand over my swollen belly and smile.

We arrive at Dean's house a few minutes later, and he's waiting gets in the car without a word, and I turn to look at him. "Are you okay?"

He gives me a curt nod. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just fighting with my mom again."

I frown at him sympathetically. Things between him and his mom have been tense since she found out about the baby, and she keeps trying to talk him into giving the baby up for adoption. The rest of the drive to the clinic is made in silence.

In the waiting room at Dr. Malley's office, I reach over and take Dean's hand after checking in with the receptionist. Hoping to distract him, I bring up baby names. "So, I was thinking. I like the name Sawyer."

He makes a face. "Did you miss the fact that she's a girl?"

I hold my hands up defensively. "I thought it was cute! And it could be a girl's name."

"I don't like it. Sounds too boyish. I like Amber," he tells me.

I don't have time to respond as the nurse calls me back. Same drill of urine sample and weight check (I've gained 15 pounds since my first visit, bringing me up to 130), and then the nurse leads me to a room and takes my blood pressure. "Okay, looks good. Dr. Malley will be right in."

Dr. Malley comes in shortly after the nurse leaves and gives Dean and I a friendly smile. "Hello Rory, Dean. Ready to check up on your little girl?"

We nod, and she begins the ultrasound. "Okay, here's the head right here. And this is her foot up by her ear." She goes quiet for a minute, taking measurements. "She's still measuring a bit small, but not to the point where I'm concerned. Everything else looks great." She wraps up the ultrasound quickly after that and prints a couple of pictures.

While I'm wiping the gel off my tummy, Dr. Malley turns to look at me. "How are you feeling, Rory? You're more than halfway there."

"I'm feeling okay. My back kills all the time, and my ankles hurt. But the morning sickness is gone, so that's good."

"Okay. Back pain is normal, with the growing weight of your belly putting strain on it. Good supportive shoes will help with that and the ankle pain, and if it gets to be too bad take some Tylenol and put your feet up. You might start to feel some cramping if you haven't already, it's nothing to be concerned about unless you start bleeding. I also want you to start doing kick counts, or at least monitor baby's movement. She should be moving about 10 times in an hour, if she doesn't or her movements suddenly decrease, give me a call and we will check on everything. Any other questions for me?"

Dean and I shake our heads, and Dr. Malley smiles as she gets up to leave. "Okay then, I'll see you back here in about 4 weeks, and then after that you will be in the third trimester so we will move to visits every two weeks."

Dean and I left the office hand in hand and met my mom in the parking lot. "Baby looks healthy." I tell her as I slide into the passenger seat.

Mom smiles at me, and turns to Dean. "Okay, Dean. Rory and I are going shopping. You're welcome to come with us, or I can drop you off at home."

Dean shrugs. "I'll come shopping with you. I do not want to go home right now."

Mom nods and drives us to the mall. We get out of the car and head to the maternity clothes store. Dean breaks off from us to go to the video game store, promising to meet us in about an hour.

Mom goes over to the funny tshirts while I head over to the jeans. I find a few pairs, then make my way to skirts. I pick a couple of those too because they're cute and look comfy, and catch up with my mom who has an armful of tshirts. She holds them up one by one and I pick my favorites, and we make our way to the register to pay. My mom slides her credit card before I can count my cash out, and she fends off all of my arguments until we are out of the store.

"Okay, Mom. But I'm buying baby stuff." Dean had given me some of his money from his Doose's paychecks to help buy stuff for the baby. I felt guilty taking it, but he was insistent that he didn't want me working while I was still trying to get into Harvard.

Mom and I make our way to the baby store where we find ourselves in the carseat section. I pick out a cute yellow and pink patterned one, deciding that yellow seems like a good color instead of everything being pink. Placing the carseat in the cart, Mom and I move onto clothes. I pick out some onesies and some cute hair bows, along with some socks and bibs. When the cart is full, we make our way to the front to pay.

When we finish our shopping, Mom and I head to the food court to meet Dean. We find him at a table and quickly head over. He sees the large number of bags and his eyes grow huge. "Whoa. Got enough stuff there?"

I roll my eyes. "This isn't even half the stuff we need. We still need a crib and a dresser. But I guess there's not going to be room for both.. Maybe a mini crib?" I turn to my mom, who is looking back at me mischievously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, no reason. Should we go see if we can fit the carseat in the Jeep?" Mom says, leading Dean and I out to the parking lot. We get to the Jeep and pull the carseat from the box, lifting it in to the back seat. It fits, but awkwardly.

I huff irritably, frustrated at the carseat. "It's not going to work, it's difficult to maneuver in."

"That's okay, hon. Maybe we should go find you your own car anyway," Mom offers.

"I can't afford a car though, Mom, and I know you can't either."

"Don't worry about it, let's head to the dealership," Mom tells me, and she's got a suspicious glint in her eyes.

The closest dealership is only a few minutes from the mall, and when we arrive I see a familiar car in the parking lot. "Mom... What is Grandpa doing here?"

Mom jumps out and walks quickly to Grandpa's car, leaving Dean and I to follow in confusion.

"Rory! So good to see you, I've missed you," Grandpa tells me warmly, pulling me to him. The baby chooses that moment to kick and make herself known, making Grandpa smile. "So, how is my granddaughter? And my great-grandbaby?"

I find myself tearing up. "Oh, Grandpa! I've missed you too! Me and baby are doing very well, I found out that she's a girl."

"Oh, a girl! How wonderful! Congratulations!" Grandpa offers his hand to Dean. "How are you coping with this, Dean?"

"I'm doing well, Mr. Gilmore. Rory and I are excited to meet our daughter in July," Dean responds with a cautious smile.

"Wonderful!" Grandpa grins. "Now, Rory. Your mother tells me you are in need of a car?"

"Yes, Grandpa, I do need a car. But I can save up and buy one myself."

"Nonsense! I was planning on getting you a car for your birthday anyway, we'll just call this any early gift. Now, the choice is yours on what you'd like. Something safe, and big enough for the three of you."

"Oh, Grandpa, thank you!"

It was then that another familiar car pulled into the lot, and it stopped me in my tracks.

"What is Grandma doing here?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys, I know it's been long while since I updated. Life has been hectic. My son is having some health issues and a lot of my time is devoted to him and my part time job. I'm sorry if this chapter seems choppy and awkward, I've really hit a rough spot with this story and I'm struggling to get my ideas on the page the way they are in my head. Thank you all for reading and for having patience with me, and I hope you enjoy!**

 **Car Shopping**

I stand in the parking lot of the car dealership, watching my grandma's car pull in. I don't know what she's doing here, and I can't decide if I'm happy to see her or not.

Her car comes to a stop, and she climbs out of the driver's seat. "Rory, Dean. Hello."

I approach her slowly, still unsure of my feelings. "Hi, Grandma. What are you doing here? I thought you hated me." My lip starts to tremble despite my efforts to stop it, and tears well up in my eyes.

"Rory, I could never hate you. You telling me that you are becoming a teen mom like your mother just brought back some unpleasant memories. Your grandfather has convinced me to apologize, and I would like to be a part of your life and the baby's life. I've missed so much already in your life, I don't want to miss anything else." As Grandma finishes her speech, I throw my arms around her. She hesitantly wraps her arms around me, and it's like we never fought.

"Now, let's go look at some cars!" Grandpa tells me as I pull away from Grandma. "What are you thinking?"

I pause and think for a minute. "I'm really not sure. An SUV of some kind I think, something big enough for a carseat and lots of trunk space for a stroller and stuff."

With my idea in mind, we all set off in search of the perfect car for me. We spend about an hour looking around until I find a red 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee that seems absolutely perfect. We go to find a salesman so I can test drive it, and as soon as I get behind the wheel I know it's the one. I take the test drive, and when I get back to the dealership I find my grandpa and tell him I found the one I want.

"Excellent, Rory. I think this is a great choice for you," grandpa tells me as we head to the office to fill out the paperwork. It doesn't take long before Dean and I are getting into my new car to take it home. My mom has to go to the inn for a bit, and she told us she would see us in a few hours. The drive home is spent mostly talking baby names.

"So I was thinking, I want her to have Lorelai as a middle name. It feels wrong to not use it at all," I tell Dean.

He shrugs. "Maybe. We really need to find a first name before we decide on a middle name I think. That way we know they fit."

"How about we both pick our top five and then narrow it down from there?" I suggest, and Dean agrees. I begin thinking of my top five, and I've decided on three of them by the time I pull up to the house. Dean and I head to the kitchen to get a snack and work on our lists.

About an hour later, Dean and I are both done with our top five and we compile them into one list. On my list I have Bexley, Ember, Kinsley, Sawyer, and Everleigh. Dean has Penelope, Brooklyn, Skylar, Kennedy, and Amber.

"Okay, so let's start narrowing this down. You take off two names from my list, I'll take two off of yours, so we'll be down to 6." I tell Dean, and we switch lists. I immediately cross of Amber as it's too similar to Ember, and Kennedy because I don't like the sound of it. Dean hands me back my list and he has crossed off Sawyer and Kinsley.

Once we have our list down to 6, we start putting the first names with Lorelai to see what sounds the best. We narrow it down to Everleigh Lorelai and Bexleigh Lorelai. We decided to change the spelling of Bexley to Bexleigh because Dean wanted to incorporate my middle name, which is really sweet of him.

"So, I think we should ask my mom which name she prefers. I know we have the final say, but I can't decide which I like better." Dean nods to show that he agrees, and just then my mom enters the kitchen.

"Hey Ror, hi Dean. Whatcha up to?" My mom asks as she sits next to me.

"Trying to pick baby girl's name. We are down to the final two choices, and I wanted to ask which you liked better." I tell her, and she nods. "So the first one Is Everleigh Lorelai, and the second one is Bexleigh Lorelai."

My mom tears up a bit. "Wow, kid. Those are beautiful. And I love that you are trying to use Lorelai in there, but I'm not sure it flows."

"Yeah, you're right. But I wanted to name her after us, it feels wrong not to," I say as I look at the way the names look spelled out. "Maybe since my middle name is attached to both first names, we can use your middle name as her middle name as well. That way she's still named after both of us in a way."

My mom lets a couple of her tears drop. "So her middle name would be Victoria? I love it."

Dean decides to speak up then. "Bexleigh. Bexleigh Victoria Forester."

I find myself tearing up as I look at my boyfriend, and I throw my arms around his neck. "Yes! It's perfect, I absolutely love it." I then turn my attention to my stomach. "Hi, Bexleigh. It's mommy. Do you like your name, baby girl?" She kicks in response, which makes me tear up even more. "I love you so much, Bexleigh Victoria. I can't wait to meet you."

Dean's hands come up to cover mine on my stomach, and out of the corner of my eye I see my mom leave the room to give us some space. We sit like that for a while until Deans cellphone starts vibrating in his pocket. He shakes himself back to reality before answering the call. "Hi, mom. Yeah, I'm still at Rory's. We went car shopping for her after the appointment, and then we came back to her house to talk about baby names." He pauses for a minute and I watch his expression change from happy to angry. "We've been over this. Yes, we are naming our daughter because we are keeping her. No, I don't think I'm coming home tonight. Bye."

I give Dean a minute to calm down a bit before I speak. "So things aren't any better with your mom?"

Dean scoffs. "Nope, not even a little. She refuses to speak to me unless she's telling me I need to give the baby up or that I'm ruining my life by attaching myself to you at such a young age, and I'm just tired of it. I want to be there for you and for our baby and I just don't feel at home in my parents' house anymore. I really want to move out, but I can't because I'm not 18."

I listen to Dean patiently, trying to figure out how to help him. I can't come up with anything. I simply lean my head into his chest and listen to his heart as it slows down from his burst of anger.

My mom comes back into the kitchen after a few minutes. "Hey, Dean. Do you want to stay here tonight? Rory's bed has a trundle underneath that you can sleep on, just no inappropriate stuff in my house please."

Dean smiles up at my mom. "Thank you, Lorelai. I'd love to stay. I will need to go home a pick up a few things though, I don't have any extra clothes."

"That's okay, I can drive you over there and then we can stop at Luke's and pick up some dinner. Bexleigh is getting hungry." I tell Dean as I stand up. I wave to my mom as Dean and I leave the house and head to the car.

We pull up to his parent's house a few minutes later, and Dean tells me to wait in the car and he will be right back. I turn on the radio in the Jeep and start talking to Bexleigh.

"Hey, baby girl. Daddy is having some trouble with his parents. His mom doesn't think we are old enough or responsible enough to care for you, and that may be true. But I promise you that we will do everything we can to give you the life you deserve. It will be rough, but if your grandma did it all alone, your daddy and I can do this together. You have so many people that love you so much, and we all can't wait to meet you and hold you and kiss your little face. I hope you have your daddy's eyes, and his sense of humor. He loves you so very much, no matter what everyone else says." I look at the clock then and I notice that it's been about 15 minutes since Dean went in to the house. "I wonder what's taking daddy so long, Bexleigh. I better go find out."

I get out of the car and head up to the front door. I knock once, and Dean's mom answers. "Rory. How can I help you?" She asks politely, but it sounds so cold. She used to love me.

"I came to get Dean. It's getting late, and he and I are supposed to pick up dinner and get back home."

"This is Dean's home, Rory. He isn't going to be playing house with you and that baby in your mother's house while you mooch off of him and not work for anything."

Dean appears then with a backpack slung over his shoulder. "Don't you dare talk about my girlfriend that way. She is not mooching, she is working towards Harvard. Her focus is the baby and her schooling, I can work to provide what she and the baby need. I'm not sure where I will be living, but as of tonight I can't live here anymore. I can't listen to you disrespect my family. Goodbye mom, I'll be back in a few days for the rest of my stuff."

With that, Dean walks past me and heads back to the car. I take one last look at Dean's mom's shocked face before going back to the car myself. As I drive towards Luke's Diner, I can't help but think I'm ruining Dean's life. What am I getting us into?


End file.
